Stress Fractures

Caring for the warriors: How medics contribute to mission accomplishment.
Black Rose
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Stress Fractures

Post by Black Rose »

Hello Rangers. I was hoping one of the Medics may be able to help me out.

I am home right now on Con Leave from BCT. About week 3 of training I was having really bad pains in both of my knees and went to sick call and they put me on profile for 7 days and didn't tell me what was wrong but told me to follow up at the end of my profile. When I went back they took x-rays and did an exam and put me on a 14 day profile and told me I had Tendenitis(sp) in both of my knees. I continued to participate in training over the next two weeks and by the time my profile was up I was feeling much better and all my pain was gone. About 3 days after I got off of profile, We had our diagnostic APFT and I ran my 2 mile no problem. 2 days after that I did an AGR and started to feel the discomfort in my knees again. This time I didn't go to sick call because we had our 10K road march coming up and I had already missed the 5K and the 8K due to being on profile so I sucked it up and tried to ignore the pain. By the time we where getting ready to go on the 10K I was in a LOT of pain. One of my DS's even came up to me in formation and asked me if I thought I was going to make it. I told him yes even if I have to crawl. Lucky for me after about 10 min both of my legs went numb and I couldn't feel the pain. I made it to our FTX site and could barely walk but I still didn't say anything to anyone. That night we did the Night Infiltration Course. I almost didn't make it back to the FTX site. The next morning I could barely stand up and went to sick call. They did X-rays and told me that I had a stress fracture in my left knee. They also told me there was no need to do a bone scan because they could clearly see it in the X-rays. They put me on a 7 day profile and sent me back to training. 3 days later my right leg was in twice as much pain as before because of the way they had me using the crutches so I ended up going back to sick call. I saw the doctor, who examined both of my legs and told me that I had multiple stress fractures in both of my legs from the knees down. He then put my on a 45 day profile and recommended I be sent home on Con Leave for 30 days and then Extended 15 days for Exodus. I went home 2 days later.

Here is my problem. The doctor never told me when I can stop using the crutches. or when I could start doing PT again. They told me that I would most likely get restarted 1 week before the final APFT(I completed all of my training except for the final APFT and the 15K), but there is no way I'll pass my run after sitting on my butt and not running for 45 days. (I suck at running anyway, I max everything else) Any advice?
Listen to the MUSTN'TS child, listen to the DONT'S, listen to the SHOULDN'TS, the IMPOSSIBLES the WON'TS, listen to the NEVER HAVES, then listen close to me, ANYTHING can happen child, ANYTHING CAN BE!
Black 6
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Post by Black 6 »

Do what I did, get up an hour before your going to do PT, grab a hand full of 800mg motrin and a cold beer......... but then again I used to give my self stitches.......




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Thursday
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Post by Thursday »

I'm not in the Military and I'm not a doctor. I do know that you are only going to make your healing process longer and more painful if you start trying to run before you know that the stress fractures are completely healed. It has been said before and it will be said again. There is a difference between sucking it up and driving on and being stupid. Right now, you have tiny little cracks in your legs from all of the stress that you have put on them. Now, you can be Mr. Macho and suck it up and drive on, but expect to have problems with your legs for the rest of your life then. It's your decision and it's your body.

There is a reason that a man who went to school for four years followed by several more in residency is putting you on profile. Your legs need time to heal. That means you are not supposed to be doing things like running. If you don't give them proper time to head, then they wont heal. And your 45 days will be up, you will be back at BCT, you will still have the stress fractures, you will still be in pain, and then you will be back in sick call and on profile, and you will be back with a doc that will be pretty pissed off at you for not following his instructions (at least I would be).

If you aren't sure about your exercise limits, call up the doc that put you on profile and ask him. Look through any paperwork that you have been given to make sure that you aren't overlooking any discharge instructions. Consult a private orthopedic doc that specializes in sports medicine. When you are feeling better after letting your legs heal, then go see the sports medicine doc and get them checked out. Make sure that the stress fractures are completely gone before you start trying to do harder exercises.

All in all, everything is your decision. Nobody is going to force you to sit on the couch and do nothing and nobody is going to force you to get out and run like you are getting chased. It is up to you to find out what your doc says is OK and what is NOT OK.

Good luck and I hope you heal up quickly.

-Thursday
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Post by Ardent Lady »

It is important to not push things at this point, for the bones need time and stillness to heal up. This is one of the times when pain means stop.

Is there any possibility you can go swimming? It's good exercise and easy on the bones. You can stretch in the water, too. Even if you just pull with your arms as you swim and don't kick at first, your heart and lungs will stay challenged.
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RogerThat
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Post by RogerThat »

don't mess around when it comes to your knees. I drove on with stress fractures in both feet, I couldn't imagine knees. It sucks, but just chill for a little bit. If you're a career woman, you'll be a lot happier not being disabled down the line.
Last edited by RogerThat on December 10th, 2007, 5:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by RTO »

RogerThat wrote:don't mess around when it comes to your knees. You'll be needing those a lot in the Army. I drove on with stress fractures in both feet, I couldn't imagine knees. It sucks, but just chill for a little bit. If you're a career man you'll be a lot happier with good knees.
pssssst...... hey bud, attention to detail. This dude's a lady. :lol:
Black 6
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Post by Black 6 »

RTO wrote: pssssst...... hey bud, attention to detail. This dude's a lady. :lol:



Don't forget to tell Thursday too...... Then again Thursday is not getting ready for pre-Ranger
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Thursday
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Post by Thursday »

Black 6 wrote:
RTO wrote: pssssst...... hey bud, attention to detail. This dude's a lady. :lol:



Don't forget to tell Thursday too...... Then again Thursday is not getting ready for pre-Ranger
Ranger Black 6, that was ... a .... typo ..... It was definately supposed to read Mrs. Macho. :lol: :lol:
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Post by GSXRanger »

RogerThat wrote:don't mess around when it comes to your knees. You'll be needing those a lot in the Army. I drove on with stress fractures in both feet, I couldn't imagine knees. It sucks, but just chill for a little bit. If you're a career man you'll be a lot happier with good knees.
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RogerThat
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Post by RogerThat »

post edited, I don't know what everyone is quoting.
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Post by RTO »

I'm fookin' dying over here. GSXRanger....... thank you .... I needed this. I haven't laughed so hard in weeks :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Black Rose
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Post by Black Rose »

Thank you Ranger Fish, Ardent Lady, Thursday, and Roger That for all your advice. It's been 4 weeks and I can walk without any pain in my legs for short distances as long as I'm not carrying anything. I am going to try to go to the gym and swim laps. I had planed on doing that a few weeks ago but without thinking about it I got a small Tattoo on my arm and didn't realize until after I got it that I had to wait to go swimming...still kicking myself for that one. :oops:

When is my Embryo going to change to Ranger Wife? I figured Death Flower would be a give in that I was a chick but you all sure showed me! :wink: :lol:
Listen to the MUSTN'TS child, listen to the DONT'S, listen to the SHOULDN'TS, the IMPOSSIBLES the WON'TS, listen to the NEVER HAVES, then listen close to me, ANYTHING can happen child, ANYTHING CAN BE!
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